By Samuel Miller
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America and Oceania
TEHRAN, Iran — Less than a day after 10 U.S. Navy sailors were detained in Iran when their boats drifted into Iranian waters, the sailors and their vessels were back safely Wednesday with the American fleet. The release appears to have ended a potential flash point, as Iran and world powers move toward the next steps in a landmark nuclear deal that limits Tehran’s atomic program in exchange for the easing of international economic sanctions.
The sailors were detained on Tuesday when one of their two vessels broke down while training in the Gulf.
CBS News correspondent Charlie D’Agata reported the American sailors were said to have been interrogated Wednesday morning by Revolutionary Guard forces on Farsi Island.
A senior defense official said the sailors were not harmed but would undergo medical evaluations and a debriefing in the Persian Gulf nation of Qatar. Meanwhile, their vessels were taken by another American crew to Bahrain, their original destination and home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
The Revolutionary Guard’s official website published images of the U.S. sailors before their release, showing them sitting on the floor of a room. They look mostly bored or annoyed, though at least one of the sailors appears to be smiling.
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter thanked Kerry after the sailors’ release and couched the incident in humanitarian terms, noting that “the U.S. Navy routinely provides assistance to foreign sailors in distress.”
Secretary of State John Kerry credited diplomatic strength and newly developed ties with Iran in helping secure the quick and safe release of the sailors.
“These are always situations as everybody here knows which have an ability, if not properly guided, to get out of control,” said Kerry in a speech at the National Defense University. “I’m appreciative for the quick and appropriate response of the Iranian authorities. All indications suggest or tell us that our sailors were well taken care of, provided with blankets and food and assisted with their return to the fleet earlier today.”
The rapid resolution also was a victory for moderate President Hassan Rouhani, who has promoted greater openness with the outside world despite strident opposition from deeply entrenched hard-liners at home.
Kerry said things might not have gone as smoothly before the U.S. opened dialogue with the country over its nuclear program, culminating in a deal to curb its operations reached between Iran and the U.S. along with five other world powers in July.
“I think we can all imagine how a similar situation might have played out three or four years ago,” said Kerry.
For more information, please see:
BBC News — US thanks Iran for swift release of 10 Navy sailors – 13 January 2016
CBS News – Iran frees U.S. sailors captured in Persian Gulf – 13 January 2016
CNN — 10 U.S. sailors detained by Iran freed – 13 January 2016
TIME — Iran Releases 10 U.S. Sailors as the Sun Rises Over the Persian Gulf – 13 January 2016
USA Today — No apologies as Iran releases U.S. Navy sailors – 13 January 2016
Washington Post — Iran releases captured U.S. Navy crew members — 13 January 2016
